On the one hand it was business as usual for Sebastian Vettel at Yas Marina on Friday, but on the other, things felt "a bit funny" for F1's future retiree.
Vettel went through the motions on the first day of his final Grand Prix weekend, clocking in sixth at the end of FP1, but falling to P12 in Friday's second practice.
"It has been like many other Fridays, to be honest! Once you drive out of the garage, you get into the rhythm and try and get in the groove with the car which did not take long this afternoon," said the Aston Martin charger.
"It was the same again this evening with how the track changes here when the sun sets.
But despite the special circumstances, Vettel hailed a "productive day" overall.
"It does feel a bit funny that it is the last Friday, however," he added.
"All in all, a productive day with plenty of laps. We will see what we can do overnight and how we can improve ahead of tomorrow."
To remind Vettel on this special weekend of where it all started, his father Norbert had set up a veritable shrine at the back of the Aston Martin box celebrating his son.
Vettel Sr, who supported his son's formative years in motorsport, surprised the 53-time Grand Prix winner after FP1 with a display that included his first ever race suit and helmet from when he started out in the ranks of karting as a child.
"Obviously, it's a long time ago but still when I saw the suit, obviously, there were some memories that took me back straight to 1995," said Vettel.
"It's been a while but it's very nice."
A very special surprise.
Sebastian Vettel’s father was on hand before FP1 at the #AbuDhabiGP to present him with his first-ever race suit and helmet, as his son takes to the track for his final #F1 weekend.
We're not crying, you are.#DankeSebpic.twitter.com/pbeRpkFhZl
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) November 18, 2022
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